Asking About Love Songs

Chapter 53

Bystanders stared in astonishment as the handsome and noble man pulled the white-clad youth into his arms, embracing him tightly.

“Young Master, you always bully me so much. You know very well that these kinds of words are more likely to provoke me than if you just said you have feelings for me directly.” Zhu Yu’s voice was impassioned. “It’s just a pity that your words are like you, you love to play tricks and deceive to the extreme.”

"Does the Third Prince not know that deceiving you and seeing you anxious, angry, and consumed by jealousy for me is a source of vengeful pleasure?"

The whispers that met his ear were malicious, provocative, or perhaps even more of a torment that tugged at his heartstrings. With the coquettish words of a lover, she knew that these words would move him more than any other response. He was both happy and angry, because he couldn't tell whether they were true or false.

"Sometimes I really wonder if you were sent by heaven to deal with me. I love you to the bone and hate you with a vengeance. You are the only one in this world who makes me feel terrified, because you know very well how to stir people's emotions and manipulate their responses."

"To receive such high praise from the Third Prince for a mere concubine, how dare I accept such a position!" Su Shaochu laughed in his arms, deciding to be more frank, "Actually, Shaochu has another revenge he most wants to fulfill, which is to completely trample on the dignity of you, Third Prince Zhu Yu!"

Chapter Six

A sudden downpour struck early in the early autumn morning, turning into a light drizzle in the afternoon, shrouding Piaoxia Peak in a misty drizzle.

Inside the "Cloud Flow Pavilion," a figure stood gracefully before the glass window, dressed in a purple dress adorned with white cloud patterns. Her hair was simply styled and held up by only two light purple glass hairpins, which, like the ethereal rain over the empty mountains outside the window, added a touch of elegance and tranquility to her beauty.

Despite wearing women's clothing, her clear and intelligent features remained unchanged. At this moment, she stood with her hands behind her back, gazing out the window, as if bewildered by the desolate peaks and forests after the rain, or as if her mind was wandering in the distant void.

"Young Madam, here is your medicine." A maid brought the medicine into the room.

Fu Lai, who remained motionless by the window, sighed softly.

"May I put it on the table for you first, so you can drink it when it's a little cool?"

"Give it to me!"

She knew that the maid wouldn't leave until she saw her drink it.

Gazing out the window at the serene mountain forests, with slivers of sunlight peeking through the clouds on the horizon and distant waterfalls cascading down, this ethereal beauty stirred up memories of the past. She couldn't help but softly murmur a long, drawn-out murmur of those bygone joys—

Unleash your boundless passion, roam freely across the land, yet the vast and boundless sky remains unseen.

By setting aside a bit of tenderness, one can roam the world and witness its vicissitudes.

The world is a turbulent sea, time flows by; the moon is silent, words cannot be fully expressed.

Where is the heroic spirit that accompanies me on this vast and boundless journey?

Amidst the misty rain and rolling hills, to whom can I pour out my tender feelings?

Do not say that life is full of joys and sorrows, separations and reunions, and the inevitable aging process.

Why not roam freely between heaven and earth, and drink a thousand cups of wine in the mortal world?

"When the body is no longer in control of its own destiny, and the heart is already bound by ties, I have lost what I have today, so how can I expect tomorrow? Swordsman, should Chu'er learn to get drunk on this cup of mortal wine, or does my heart not wish to be drunk?"

Does being captivated scare you?

The person who came ordered the maid to put down the medicine and then leave.

"What I fear is being forced to get drunk even though I don't want to." Facing the person who had come up behind her, gently kissing her hair, she kept her eyes closed and said without turning her head.

"Anything can be forced or coerced, but the heart is hard to coerce, especially your strong will and unpredictable nature."

"It's hard to believe these words came from the mouth of the Third Prince, who manipulates people's hearts and minds." Su Shaochu smiled slightly. "I remember you always believed that as long as the methods are right, nothing in people's hearts or minds is unchangeable."

"It is precisely because of this that we know that human nature is easily tempted, and the human heart is the most difficult thing to change."

"Human hearts." Her beautiful eyes, which had been gazing at the sky, turned into a thoughtful murmur. "No matter how much the world changes, how can it win over the change of human hearts?" If human hearts are so hard to change, why did she and Zhu Yu end up like this?

What exactly did she miscalculate? This question kept echoing in her mind these past few days.

The Third Prince Zhu Yu has always been a cruel and cold-blooded person. He is only interested in his prey for a short time. After he has satisfied his desire for conquest and played with it, even if he kills it, he will never feel any pity, let alone any emotion.

From childhood, she had always had this impression of him, because he was supposed to be a heartless person, devoid of any humanity...

This kind of person once faced death but wanted to protect his daughter with his life; this kind of person once threatened to die with her, just because she told him that she had no true feelings; this kind of person's actions in order to get her are becoming less and less like the "Third Prince Zhu Yu" she believed in!

She had no feelings for him at all... She should have no feelings for him...

His lowered eyes slowly closed.

"What are you thinking about?" Zhu Yu, who was behind her, had already wrapped his arms around her waist and was holding her by the window.

What causes a heart to change?

"Has your heart changed?"

She didn't respond, but simply opened her eyes and looked out the window.

"The rain... has stopped. If we want to capture Meng Yansi, this rain will probably be an obstacle." The heavy rain will wash away all traces. "The people of the Eastern Region are skilled in using poison and tracking, and they can also use confusing methods to counter their trackers."

"With my brother's wisdom, he was indeed able to foresee that Jinghui City was related to Meng Yansi."

“Feng Yan is never far from you. Unless it is a troublesome opponent, you would never let someone with such high swordsmanship leave your side. In addition, he comes from Nanyuan and has some understanding of the poison of the Moxi Sect. Also, there is the matter of Ke Luoqizhen. The Third Prince’s dissatisfaction with the Eastern Region should be addressed.”

"How could I possibly let him get away with this? He dared to send someone to kill me, and he even orchestrated the death of Xuanhong Zhaicheng!"

"So you felt anger about Xuanhong Zhaicheng's death."

“In my beloved brother’s heart, there is truly no goodwill he has towards me.” He sighed, his head close to hers. “As I have said, his heart is weary, and death is the path he paved for himself. And isn’t it the best relief?”

"But that doesn't mean that others can interfere. Judging from the power that Qi Zhen showed when he used the drum sound on you, and how he couldn't even withstand Feng Yan's sword after fighting you, his skill couldn't be that bad. It's obvious that he was poisoned, which reduced his skill to half. During that time, the only person who could have done this was Meng Yansi."

“Perhaps…” Recalling Xuan Hong Zhai Cheng’s resolute expression, determined to die, Shao Chuyi felt a pang of sorrow. “He tacitly approved of Meng Yansi’s actions, didn’t he?”

“He tacitly approved, but that is not what I, the prince, allow.” Zhu Yu sneered. “Meng Yansi has private forces in Jinghui City. The Demon Xi Sect may not know this, but they cannot escape my control. As long as he goes to Jiangnan, Feng Yan’s trap is waiting for him. Even if he escapes, he will definitely come to Jinghui City.”

“Meng Yansi is a cunning and treacherous man. How can we be sure he will be forced to go to Jiangnan?” Su Shaochu left his embrace and turned around. “Presumably, the Demon Sect has a force arranged by the Third Prince to carry out this matter.”

“Within the Demon Sect, each faction is willing to sacrifice its subordinates for greater interests.” Zhu Yu smiled coldly, but suddenly stared at her silently.

"What's wrong?"

Zhu Yu gazed intently at her beautiful and elegant appearance.

"Having grown accustomed to your youthful attire, I've almost never truly seen you in women's clothing. Even when you disguised yourself as Ziyan in the Jade Pavilion, you were veiled, making it difficult to discern your features."

"Now that we see it clearly, what good is it?"

"This makes me even more certain that you belong to me." He lifted her delicate chin, her elegant and beautiful face already deeply etched in his heart. His possessiveness intensified, yet he softened his voice as he said, "Shaochu, you are already mine. This is an unchangeable fact. Accept it sooner rather than later, and stop causing trouble, okay?"

"It sounds like an inquiry, but it certainly doesn't allow Shao Chu to refuse!" She pushed his hand away, her gentle smile returning. "If things don't go as the Third Prince wishes in the end, has he decided to severely injure Shao Chu again? Cripple him? Or destroy him outright?"

"Unless absolutely necessary, I, the prince, do not wish to use any means of harm or coercion against you, because it would only have the opposite effect. But if it is difficult to even see you, then I have no choice but to do the opposite. After all, if you are deliberately avoiding me, you will always stay far away from me."

"So the powerful Third Prince thinks that forcing someone into marriage, kidnapping, imprisoning, and threatening them with violence will win them a heart?!" The perceptions of royalty and nobility are indeed different from those of ordinary people.

“At least I’ll get your body,” Zhu Yu said sarcastically, to which Zhu Yu only gave a gloomy sneer. “I’ve said it before, you must leave me with either your body or your heart.”

Reason and madness were already coursing through his body. He longed for her day and night, wanting to get close to her, but she kept avoiding him with her cunning lies and schemes. Her obvious playful attitude finally turned his inner desire into a raging inferno!

He has always manipulated human nature and emotions, but her heart and her feelings are even more difficult for him to grasp and predict. Especially when "manipulation" becomes her means to him, it has brought him to the brink of losing control several times. Struggles, suspicions, and jealousy that she may not belong to him have consumed his last bit of rationality.

He was fed up with her uncertainty. He wanted her to look him in the eye and have him in her heart. If she wanted to play games, she had to play them seriously with him, not just play them perfunctorily.

"I hope Shao Chu'ai will obediently accept this medicine today!" He walked to the square table and gestured to the soup on the table.

The medicine that would make it easier for her to conceive was initially forced to be drunk by Zhu Yu after holding her. However, when Wuyou and Wuchou brought it to her, the two girls innocently coaxed her, believing that as long as she drank the medicine, she would stay by their side and bring it to their younger siblings.

Su Shaochu sighed deeply. Zhu Yu knew very well how to move her and knew that she couldn't bear to see their lovely smiles disappointed. No wonder Shan Shan said that one day what would really make her fall was definitely lovely people and things. Knowing the other party's intentions, she couldn't bear to see their pure and lovely smiles disappear from their faces.

After she accepted the medicine they offered and drank it herself, they brought her the medicine every day. From that day on, Mianxiang spent less time with her.

The way he waited for her at the square table reminded Su Shaochu of the scene at the Butterfly Maple Garden in the capital. Back then, he used the wine on the table to entice her to come closer, but she turned away when they were only inches apart.

Seeing her motionless figure, Zhu Yu was not annoyed, but simply sighed softly.

"It seems you would absolutely not give me, the prince, anything..."

Before he could finish speaking, she walked over and rested her head directly on his strong chest.

Are you going to feed me this bowl of medicine?

Zhu Yu was speechless for a moment, then wrapped his strong arms around her waist and said, "Are you trying to seduce me?"

"Is it still of any use to you?"

"To be honest, I'm flattered, but I feel... the price is quite high." He kissed her hair, wondering about her motives for getting closer. "Especially since it comes from your childhood love for me, it's not something to be taken lightly. Don't tell me you suddenly want to get closer to me and understand me. Try to get along with me properly."

"The Third Prince has already concluded that everything Shao Chu has done is a scheme and plot. Even if Shao Chu has good intentions, it is useless without your trust."

"Does this mean that Ai-di will no longer engage in deceptive or manipulative evasive behavior?"

"I'll try." She smiled, meeting his gaze as he leaned down at her lock.

"You won't play with my feelings in response?" he asked, leaning down to kiss her lightly, his lips pressed against hers.

"Watch...do...um." Her words were followed by his tongue, which plunged in and began to entwine with hers.

"If all restrictions on you were lifted now, what would you do?"

"I should... give you some revenge, and then I'll just become someone you remember."

This response made Zhu Yu narrow his eyes and hug her tightly in displeasure.

"What reward should I, the prince, give for this infuriatingly frank answer?"

“I said I do have feelings for you, but that doesn’t mean I can change them right away… um…” Before she could finish speaking, Zhu Yu had already picked up the medicine, drunk it, and then covered her lips with his.

She silently accepted the medicine he fed her spoonful by spoonful until the bowl was empty. Then he pulled her into his arms again, nuzzling her cheek and kissing her eyebrows and slender neck.

"You...really like...kissing people." This was the case at the Snow Jade Pavilion.

"Because it's you, I want to taste every part of you, and I can never get enough." Zhu Yu smiled wickedly.

"Do you really intend to keep me locked up like this for the entire year?"

“As long as my beloved brother continues to resist like this, constantly wanting to leave me, it won’t just be a year. No matter how reluctant I am, I’ll have to harden my heart and lock you up for life.” He spoke with feigned heartache, his possessiveness clenched in his arms and the raging passion in his eyes clearly showing that he would rather break the wings of this soaring goose than let go. “At most, I’ll build my beloved brother a luxurious cage that suits your taste and standards.”

"Such a heinous and inhumane thing, yet the Third Prince goes to such lengths; it truly fills Shao Chu with mixed feelings!" In this world, even the law perishes when it encounters Zhu Yu.

"Is my beloved brother finally moved by my efforts?"

"Once I begin to understand what it means to be utterly devoid of conscience, I'll probably be able to feel some sympathy for those who abuse their power and influence."

"So... will this move you?"